New blog for nurses

Late last year, I joined a company for healthcare professionals, MDNG, agreeing to blog at least once a week on nursing issues.

The site is now live and I invite you to have a visit. You do need to register, but it's a painless process and allows you to read blogs from a pharmacist, a physician, and a "techie", as well as mine.

Please drop by and see what you think: Nurses Notes at MDNGLive.com

Sex is good for you

We know that sex can be fun, invigorating, and down right stress releasing, but did you know that it's also healthy?

Sex burns about 300 calories per hours and works on every muscle group - so think of it as toning your body. :-)

To read more about the benefits of health and sex, here is the original article: Get more than zeds in bed.

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Don't forget to visit www.helpmyhurt.com and enter our Friday Funnies contest. It ends tomorrow night.

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News for Today:

Valentine's Day Connected to Epilepsy
Early-stage breast cancer causes disproportionate worry: study
MS sufferers who smoke pot have greater cognitive problems: study
Keep it to one glass of red wine for heart health: study
Little risk in delaying prostate cancer treatment for older men: study
Male births are more likely to reduce quality of life and increase severe post-natal depression

So, what's in the news today?

I was looking around and didn't find too much that sparked an interest in a post. The recall of fentanyl patches is important news, that's true (Chronic pain patches recalled for overdose danger). Fentanyl is a very potent opioid analgesic (pain medication) that can be given through the skin. This method of providing medications allows for a steady, consistent dose of medications instead of the up and downs of taking medications orally or by injection.

Many people who take analgesics wait too long to take them. Instead of taking them every 4 or 6 hours, as prescribed, they wait until the pain kicks in and then is "bad enough" to take their medication. This approach doesn't work to well though, as the body doesn't cope well with the extremes. If you are allowed to take your medication every so many hours and you need it - it's best if you take it. That way, the medication doesn't peak and valley so much, and you don't suffer too much.

Taking pain medication is not a weakness - if you need it then you need it.

News for Today:
Surgery improves quality of life for children with sleep apnea
Aircraft noise raises blood pressure even whilst people are sleeping, says study
Expenditures rising for back and neck problems, but health outcomes do not appear to be improving
HPV-positive head and neck cancer patients fare better than HPV-negative patients
Chronic pain patches recalled for overdose danger

Health care begins at home?

There is much moaning and groaning among people about the state of the our healthcare systems, regardless of where we live. Either there aren't enough doctors or nurses, or the waits are too long, or the treatments are too expensive. But, how many people who are waiting for health care may have been able to avoid some of their issues if they had taken better care of themselves to begin with?

I'm not saying that people are sick through their own actions - there are people who live incredibly healthy lives who end up sick and needing expensive and lifesaving treatments; but let's face it. Many people do not take their health seriously and do many things to compromise it, from not exercising, not eating well, smoking, and making other not-so-healthy choices.

This stood out when I read this article: Most with high blood pressure do not follow recommended diet. We need to start taking our health more seriously. We do have what seems like miracle cures sometimes; we have medications and treatments and therapies - but if we don't do our own part, they won't - and can't - have the effect they're supposed to.

News for Today:

Mayo Clinic population research shows heart disease may be rising
Older whites more likely to have signs of future eye disease than blacks
Depression in the Elderly is Complicated but Treatable, From the Harvard Mental Health Letter
Donors' health associated with risk of infection among recipients of corneal transplants
Learning disabilities associated with language problems later in life
Most with high blood pressure do not follow recommended diet
Provider influence and patient barriers affect use of colorectal cancer screening

Another thing to worry about if someone has Alzheimer’s disease

We know to be concerned with safety when someone has Alzheimer’s disease. We try to keep them from driving if they still drive, from getting lost if they go out walking. We try to accident proof homes as much as possible – but there is something that may be not considered when working with our loved ones with AD – finances and fraud.

We’ve all heard of stories of older people being swindled out of life savings and many of the victims are not ill and don’t have any dementia. But, according to an article in Science Daily, Mild Alzheimer's Patients Show Rapid Decline In Financial Skills And Increased Vulnerability To Fraud, Over One Year, “New research from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) shows that patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have a dramatic decline in their ability to make financial decisions over a one year period. The findings have strong implications for caregivers and health care providers in the areas of estate planning and fraud prevention.”

The article is interesting and a bit of an eye-opener, I think.

News for Today:

Provider influence and patient barriers affect use of colorectal cancer screening

Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain

Elderly more likely to deny smoking when asked, says Case Western Reserve University researcher

Botox linked to severe side effects, deaths: FDA

Acupuncture may increase chance of IVF success: study